Betty MacDonald Fan Club. Join fans of the beloved writer Betty MacDonald (1907-58). The original Betty MacDonald Fan Club and literary Society. Welcome to Betty MacDonald Fan Club and Betty MacDonald Society - the official Betty MacDonald Fan Club Website with members in 40 countries.
Betty MacDonald, the author of The Egg and I and the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle Series is beloved all over the world. Don't miss Wolfgang Hampel's Betty MacDonald biography and his very witty interviews on CD and DVD!

That
was how my friend Hilde Domin was, dear Betty! You would have liked her
so much. She had also been in America. At that time you were a famous
author but she was still unknown.

-Did she love cats like you do?

-Yes Betty, she sure did!! Otherwise how do you think she could have been a friend of mine?

-Oh Letizia, don’t boast! Hilde was famous!

-It’s all the same to me, Betty, whether a person is famous or not but that person must love animals

-Why was she as defiant as a cock?

-Well Betty, she was simply so!

-Like a pregnant woman in my “Egg and I”?

-No not so! Betty, Hilde was a whole farm!

- A farm, how was that?

- No Betty, Hilde was more! Almost a zoo! Even more. She was all the animals in the world!

-You loved her very much.

-As I love all animals. You Betty, if I had known you, I would have loved you exactly so because you loved animals.

-But as defiant as a cock from my Bob-farm!

-Yes
and no! (Hilde really loved this double form of answer). Listen Betty ,
I’ll tell you a story about how Hilde was. You would certainly have
loved her. I’ll call my story “The Second Paradise”.

THE SECOND PARADISE

Copyright 2011/2016 by Letizia Mancinotranslated by Mary Holmes

All rights reserved

The Lord God, one day, met Adam in Paradise and saw him lying under a palm.

And God spoke to him: Adam, my son, are you happy, are you content with Paradise ?

Adam answered: Oh Lord, it is wonderful!

And God said: But I will create a second Paradise and give you a wife.

Adam answered: Oh Lord, that is wonderful!

And God said: I will create the wife according to your wishes.

And Adam stood under the palm and thought hard.

And God said: Adam, are you ready?

Adam
answered: My wife should be as lively as a bird but she should not fly.
She should swim like a goldfish but not be a fish….. She should be as
playful as a cat but not catch mice….. She should be as busy as an ant
but not so small.

And God said: So shall she be: Like a bird, a goldfish, a cat, an ant…

Adam answered: Oh Lord, that is wonderful, but she should be as faithful as a dog.

And God asked: Adam, have you finished?

Oh Lord, cried Adam. She should also be as delightful and gentle as a lamb and as defiant as a cock!

….She should be as curious as a monkey and as pampered as a lapdog.

And God said: So shall she be.

And Adam said: My wife should be as courageous as a lion and as headstrong as a goat…

And
God said: So, like a bird, a goldfish, a cat, an ant, a dog, a lamb, a
cock, a monkey, a lapdog, a lion, a goat… and slowly and surely he
wished to begin creating…

But Adam stretched himself under the palm and called:

Lord, Lord, she should be as adaptable as a chameleon but not creep on four feet.

She should have sparkling eyes like, like… real diamonds. She should be as fiery as a volcano

But … she should have crystal-clear thoughts like a mountain spring.

God, the Almighty, was speechless…

And Adam spoke: Also she should be as quick as lightening…

And God said: Man, have you finished????

No, said Adam! She should be as strong as a horse, as long living as an elephant but as light as a butterfly!

Panama Papers: Mossack Fonseca leak reveals elite's tax havens

A huge leak of confidential documents has revealed how the rich and powerful use tax havens to hide their wealth.

Eleven million documents were leaked from one of the world's most secretive companies, Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca.They show how Mossack Fonseca has helped clients launder money, dodge sanctions and evade tax.The company says it has operated beyond reproach for 40 years and has never been charged with criminal wrong-doing.The
documents show links to 72 current or former heads of state in the
data, including dictators accused of looting their own countries.

Gerard Ryle, director of the International Consortium of
Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), said the documents covered the
day-to-day business at Mossack Fonseca over the past 40 years."I
think the leak will prove to be probably the biggest blow the offshore
world has ever taken because of the extent of the documents," he said.

Panama Papers - tax havens of the rich and powerful exposed

Eleven million documents held by the
Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca have been passed to German
newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung, which then shared them with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. BBC Panorama is among 107 media organisations - including UK newspaper the Guardian - in 78 countries which have been analysing the documents. The BBC doesn't know the identity of the source

They show how the company has helped clients launder money, dodge sanctions and evade tax

Mossack Fonseca says it has operated beyond reproach for 40 years and never been accused or charged with criminal wrong-doing

Panama Papers: Full coverage; follow reaction on Twitter using #PanamaPapers; in the BBC News app, follow the tag "Panama Papers"

Watch Panorama at 19:30 on BBC One on Monday, 4 April, or catch up later on the BBC iPlayer (UK viewers only)

The data contains secret offshore
companies linked to the families and associates of Egypt's former
president Hosni Mubarak, Libya's former leader Muammar Gaddafi and
Syria's president Bashar al-Assad.

Russian connection

It
also reveals a suspected billion-dollar money laundering ring that was
run by a Russian bank and involved close associates of President Putin. The operation was run by Bank Rossiya, which is subject to US and EU sanctions following Russia's annexation of Crimea.The documents reveal for the first time how the bank operates..

Money has been channelled through offshore companies, two of
which were officially owned by one of the Russian president's closest
friends.Concert cellist Sergei Roldugin has known Vladimir Putin
since they were teenagers and is godfather to the president's daughter
Maria.On paper, Mr Roldugin has personally made hundreds of millions of dollars in profits from suspicious deals.But
documents from Mr Roldugin's companies state that: "The company is a
corporate screen established principally to protect the identity and
confidentiality of the ultimate beneficial owner of the company."Read more: Putin associates linked to 'money laundering'

Iceland connection

Mossack
Fonseca data also shows how Icelandic Prime Minister Sigmundur
Gunnlaugsson had an undeclared interest in his country's bailed-out
banks. Mr Gunnlaugsson has been accused of hiding millions of
dollars of investments in his country's banks behind a secretive
offshore company.Leaked documents show that Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson and his wife bought offshore company Wintris in 2007.He
did not declare an interest in the company when entering parliament in
2009. He sold his 50% of Wintris to his wife for $1 (70p), eight months
later.Mr Gunnlaugsson is now facing calls for his resignation. He
says he has not broken any rules, and his wife did not benefit
financially from his decisions. The offshore company was used to
invest millions of dollars of inherited money, according to a document
signed by Mr Gunnlaugsson's wife Anna Sigurlaug Pálsdóttir in 2015.Read more: Iceland PM's investments questioned

'Beyond reproach'

In
addition, Mossack Fonseca supplied a front man who pretended to own
$1.8m, so the real owner could get the cash from the bank without
revealing their identity.Mossack Fonseca says it has always
complied with international protocols to ensure the companies they
incorporate are not used for tax evasion, money-laundering, terrorist
finance or other illicit purposes.The company says it conducts thorough due diligence and regrets any misuse of its services."For
40 years Mossack Fonseca has operated beyond reproach in our home
country and in other jurisdictions where we have operations. Our firm
has never been accused or charged in connection with criminal
wrongdoing."If we detect suspicious activity or misconduct, we
are quick to report it to the authorities. Similarly, when authorities
approach us with evidence of possible misconduct, we always cooperate
fully with them."Mossack Fonseca says offshore companies are available worldwide and are used for a variety of legitimate purposes. See more at the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists

About Me

Betty MacDonald Fan Club, founded by Wolfgang Hampel, has members in 40 countries.
Wolfgang Hampel, author of Betty MacDonald biography interviewed Betty MacDonald's family and friends. His Interviews have been published on CD and DVD by Betty MacDonald Fan Club. If you are interested in the Betty MacDonald Biography or the Betty MacDonald Interviews send us a mail, please.
Several original Interviews with Betty MacDonald are available.
We are also organizing international Betty MacDonald Fan Club Events for example, Betty MacDonald Fan Club Eurovision Song Contest Meetings in Oslo and Düsseldorf, Royal Wedding Betty MacDonald Fan Club Event in Stockholm and Betty MacDonald Fan Club Fifa Worldcup Conferences in South Africa and Germany.
Betty MacDonald Fan Club Honour Members are Monica Sone, author of Nisei Daughter and described as Kimi in Betty MacDonald's The Plague and I, Betty MacDonald's nephew, artist and writer Darsie Beck, Betty MacDonald fans and beloved authors and artists Gwen Grant, Letizia Mancino, Perry Woodfin, Traci Tyne Hilton, Tatjana Geßler, music producer Bernd Kunze, musician Thomas Bödigheimer, translater Mary Holmes and Mr. Tigerli.